Fire Risk Assessment in Loughborough
Loughborough is stricter than Leicester for small shared houses. Charnwood Borough Council licenses every HMO with three or more unrelated tenants, and asks for a fire risk assessment with the application. Local assessors cover HMOs, flats, shops and offices across Loughborough and Charnwood from £200, with most student houses at £250 to £400.
Updated September 2026
The four rules that apply to Loughborough rentals
Charnwood runs more schemes than Leicester, and they overlap. This table puts them side by side.
| Scheme | Who it catches | Where | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence | 5 or more tenants from 2 or more households sharing facilities | Whole borough | Ongoing |
| Additional HMO licence | HMOs with 3 or 4 unrelated tenants, any number of storeys; converted buildings of flats (section 257) that are wholly let | Whole borough of Charnwood | 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028 |
| Selective licence | Homes let to one household, one person or two unrelated people | Parts of the former Loughborough Lemyngton and Loughborough Hastings wards | Five-year scheme from 2023 |
| Article 4 direction | Any change from a family home to an HMO needs planning permission | All of Loughborough | Since 12 February 2012 |
Sources: Charnwood Borough Council, additional licensing designation, licence fees, selective licensing and planning control of HMOs, checked September 2026. HMO licence fee £700; re-licence or DASH-accredited landlords pay £615.
What assessors find in Loughborough properties
Student terraces near the university
The streets between the town centre and the university campus are full of Victorian and inter-war terraces let to four to six students. Kitchen doors without closers, alarms that are not linked between floors, and bikes stored in the hallway are the usual findings. With additional licensing, even the three and four bed houses are in scope.
Loft and rear conversions
Adding a bedroom in the loft or over the kitchen changes the escape route and often the licence category. Because of the Article 4 direction, a house that has recently become an HMO should also have planning permission. The assessment will not check planning, but it will flag layouts that look like recent conversions.
Flats above town-centre shops
Around the Market Place and the main shopping streets, flats sit over cafés, takeaways and shops. The separation between the two uses and a second way out are what matter most.
Converted houses of flats
Older houses split into self-contained flats may count as section 257 HMOs, which Charnwood’s additional licensing covers when every flat is let. Owners are often surprised to find they need a licence at all.
Real questions from shared-house landlords
“My house is a 4-bedroom house, and I do not need a compulsory HMO license. However, I need an HMO Compliance Assessment.”A landlord on the OpenRent community forum, October 2024
In Loughborough, that landlord would need a licence. Charnwood’s additional licensing covers HMOs with 3 or 4 tenants across the borough, and the council asks for a fire risk assessment as part of the application. Check the council’s rules before assuming a four-bed let is outside licensing.
“Are self-closing mechanisms actually compulsory on bedroom doors (tenants hate them)?”An HMO landlord on the Safelincs fire safety forum, January 2023
It depends on the house. In many small HMOs, guidance accepts bedroom doors without closers if the rest of the protection is good, but a kitchen door usually needs one. The fire risk assessment is where that is decided for your property. If the assessment says closers are needed, pick adjustable ones that tenants will not disconnect.
Areas we cover in Charnwood
Also covering all of Leicester and Leicestershire. See our Leicester homepage.
Loughborough fire risk assessment questions
Does a 3-bed student house in Loughborough need a licence?
Yes, if it is let to three or more unrelated tenants. Charnwood’s additional licensing scheme covers HMOs with three or four tenants anywhere in the borough until 31 March 2028.
Does Charnwood want a fire risk assessment with the licence application?
Yes. The council lists a fire risk assessment among the documents to send with an HMO licence application.
How much is an HMO licence in Charnwood?
£700 for a standard application, paid as £395 on application and £305 when the licence is granted. Re-licence applications and DASH-accredited landlords pay £615. There is an extra fee per bedroom above six.
Can I turn a house in Loughborough into an HMO?
Only with planning permission. An Article 4 direction has covered all of Loughborough since February 2012.
Do you cover Shepshed, Syston and the Charnwood villages?
Yes. Enquiries are covered across the whole of Charnwood and the rest of Leicestershire.
Get a fixed quote for your Loughborough property
Send the postcode, number of bedrooms or flats, and whether it is licensed. A local assessor gets back to you with a fixed quote and a date.
See also our cost guide, or call 0116 497 6683.